Never Alone
by mhistbuff
Summary: After the Chamber of Secrets, Ginny is forced to withdraw from Hogwarts and move to Beauxbatons. Harry feels compelled to follow her. How will Dumbledore prepare him for his task when he is out of reach?
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: This is JK Rowling's sandbox – I just play here.

A/N: I was originally inspired by kb0's _Harry Potter: Unchampion_ for the idea of Harry (and others) going to Beauxbatons. I am indebted to Antosha's story _Monster_ for the idea of Harry physically marking Ginny in the Chamber and to Jeconais's _Hope_ for partially influencing my view of Beauxbatons. This story is primarily about Harry and Ginny. It has a number of OCs, of necessity; but they are not main characters. This story is still about, more-or-less, the canon characters. The OCs are simply necessary to populate the world.

**Prologue – Never Alone **

&&&&&&&&

"Ginny – don't be dead – please don't be dead –"

&&&&&&&&

"_Speak to me, Slytherin, greatest of the Hogwarts Four."_

&&&&&&&&

"_KILL THE BOY! LEAVE THE BIRD! THE BOY IS BEHIND YOU!"_

&&&&&&&&

"I'm going to be expelled!" Ginny wept as Harry helped her to her feet. "I've looked forward to coming to Hogwarts ever since B-Bill came and n-now I'll have to leave and – _w-what'll Mum and Dad say?_"

"It'll okay, Ginny," Harry replied, pulling her into a hug. "It was Riddle's fault. I'll tell Dumbledore, and he won't let anything happen to you."

"B-but what about Hermione and C-Colin? They'll hate me," Ginny asked before taking a shuddering breath.

"It's okay, Ginny," Harry repeated, almost whispering it into her ear. "Even if no one else understands, you'll always have me. I'll never let you be alone."

Ginny sniffed a few times, before hugging Harry once more tightly. A quick burst of song from Fawkes shook them back to life, prompting them to start walking toward the Chamber's entrance. Neither of them noticed the faintly glowing prints of Harry's hands on Ginny's back that faded as they reached the stone door.

&&&&&&&&

Retelling the story of the fight in the Chamber was unpleasant for both Harry and Ginny, but soon enough Ginny was being shuffled out of Dumbledore's office by her parents, with Ron and Lockhart in tow.

"So, Harry, why don't you sit down?" Dumbledore asked, his blue eyes tinkling behind half-moon glasses. "Do you have any questions for me?"

Harry sat down in the armchair recently vacated by Mr. Weasley and collected his thoughts. "Well, Professor, when Riddle was out of the diary, he seemed fascinated by how similar he thought we were. And, well, I guess we are similar – both of our parents are dead, and we both speak Parseltongue, and the Sorting Hat said I would be good in Slytherin. Its just…" Harry trailed off, the effort of talking about his fears suddenly overwhelming.

"I wouldn't worry about that too much, Harry," Dumbledore replied calmly. "I suspect that your ability to speak Parseltongue is a result of Voldemort's failed killing curse. I believe that he unwittingly transferred some of his ability to you that night – something we should be thankful for, because without it Miss Weasley would have most assuredly died in that chamber.

"No, Harry, you do not have anything to worry about. Tom Riddle would never have considered risking himself to save the life of a friend. If I know you as I think I do, you never even considered not rescuing her." Harry nodded at this, so Dumbledore continued. "It is our choices, Harry, not our abilities that define who we are. You have many of the qualities Slytherin would have valued: resourcefulness, determination, and a certain disregard for the rules. Nevertheless, Harry, you are in Gryffindor. Why?"

"Because I asked not to be in Slytherin," said Harry, brightening as he saw what Dumbledore was saying.

"Exactly. You choose to be who you are Harry - never forget that. Now, I should get you to hospital wing before Madam Pomfrey comes for you herself. Unless, of course, you have anything else you need to discuss?"

"Actually, Professor, I was wondering if it would be possible for me to stay at Hogwarts this summer. I promised Ginny I wouldn't abandon her, and, well, my Uncle won't let me use Hedwig. I want to be able to owl her if she needs me." Dumbledore's face fell a little at this.

"I am sorry Harry, but the Board of Governors won't let anyone but the teachers stay here over the summer, and even most of them return to their family homes or take vacations. I wouldn't worry about Miss Weasley too much, Harry; her family will be able to give her any help she needs. Besides, you wouldn't want to stay here anyway. It is important to take a break from school during the summer, Harry, to – what do the muggles say – recharge our batteries.

"Now, off to the hospital wing," Dumbledore said quickly, clapping his hands together. "If you hurry I'm sure you'll be able to escape in time for the feast."

&&&&&&&&

Dumbledore sighed as the door closed behind Harry. That was one crisis averted. Actually, it was better than that - he needed Harry to choose to stand against Voldemort, and Harry's understanding of the similarities between himself and Tom would drive him to differentiate himself in as many was as possible. With a burst of song, Fawkes launched himself from his perch and flew to the elderly headmaster's lap.

"Thank you Fawkes," Dumbledore said, reaching down to pet the phoenix's head. "I don't know what I would have done if I had lost him." Fawkes interrupted with a short trill. "Yes, he is a rather amazing young man, isn't he?"

Dumbledore's quiet musings were interrupted by the door to his office flying open. "Lucius, Cornelius, what can I do for you?" Dumbledore asked, rising to his feet as Fawkes flew back to his perch.

"Thank you, Dumbledore, for coming back to resolve this crisis. I still cannot believe the Board removed you to begin with," Fudge began, holding his bowler hat in his hands.

"Yes, it was, in retrospect, a mistake. The Board thanks you for solving this problem before the school was forced to close," Malfoy interrupted. "But, the perpetrator of these attacks has been caught, yes?"

"Actually, there was no one to catch. It appears that Lord Voldemort managed to enchant this diary to force Ginny Weasley to open the chamber," Dumbledore explained, holding the diary out to Malfoy, who didn't take it. "She has, however, been rescued and is recuperating in the hospital wing."

"But, she is the one responsible for these attacks?" Fudge asked, looking slightly desperate. "I must have someone I can show to the public so they know the school is safe."

"No, Cornelius, she is no more responsible than she would be if she was acting under the _imperius_ curse," Dumbledore countered, his eyes hardening. "I will not let you scapegoat an innocent child. Indeed, I expect that you will be releasing my gamekeeper from Azkaban immediately."

"If I may, Minister," Malfoy interjected, taking Fudge's quick nod as permission. "I think that I, on behalf of the Board, will have to ask Miss Weasley to withdraw from Hogwarts. We cannot expect the students to feel safe in this school with their attacker still walking around the corridors, even if she is ultimately innocent. They will not understand."

"I think you will find, Lucius, that children can understand a great many things when they are explained to them properly," Dumbledore said.

"Absolutely not!" Fudge interrupted. "We will not be explaining anything of the sort. We cannot let it be known that anything belonging to You-Know-Who still exists." Pausing slightly, he continued. "Yes, yes. I think that Lucius's idea is best. Young Miss Weasley will be able to seek a magical education elsewhere and there will be no record of her involvement in this incident. I will quietly release Hagrid and tell everyone that Slytherin's monster –"

"A basilisk," Dumbledore interrupted.

"A b-basilisk, really?" Fudge stuttered, suddenly looking nervous. "We'll say that Slytherin's monster is dead – it is dead?" Fudge continued at Dumbledore's nod. "That way we can reassure the public that Hogwarts is safe without unduly penalizing Miss Weasley."

"I strongly oppose this course of action, Cornelius," Dumbledore stated, his eyes hard.

"I am sorry, Albus, but it is for the best," Fudge said, growing more confident in his plan. "And with the Board's support, there is not much that you can do. Besides, it is better than sending the poor girl to Azkaban."

&&&&&&&&

In the hospital wing, Harry quietly approached Ginny's sleeping form on the bed. He drew close, reaching his hand out slowly toward her shoulder.

"It's okay, Harry. I'm not asleep," she said suddenly, surprising Harry. "I told Madam Pomfrey that I didn't need a sleeping draught – I just need to think a little before I go to sleep."

"I understand," Harry began, before pausing for a moment. "Look, Ginny, I meant what I said in the Chamber. I am here if you need anything. If my uncle locks up Hedwig again this summer, I might not be able to owl you, but I will give you my telephone number before you leave. Your dad can show you how to use one – I told him last summer. I want you to call or owl me if you need anything. I'll come to the Burrow as soon as I can, if your mum will have me."

"Thank you, Harry." Ginny said, smiling softly. "Mum and Dad already told me that they didn't blame me, but they don't really understand what happened. I don't think Mum really wants to understand. She's stopped being worried and is in full smothering-mode. I'm sure she's going to be terrible this summer."

"Well, just know that you can count of me if you need me, even if it is just to complain about your mum." Seeing her yawn, Harry smiled at Ginny. "I'll let you go to sleep. See you tomorrow on the train."

"Good night, Harry. And thank you," Ginny called out, as Harry walked out of the infirmary.

&&&&&&&&

At his desk, Dumbledore rubbed his temples. Despite an hour of discussion he had been unable to sway the Minister from 'his' plan. Lucius had out-maneuvered him and, now, not only was he going to have to ask Molly Weasley to withdraw her daughter from Hogwarts, he was going to be unable to get Lucius removed from the Board of Governors. He wondered briefly who had informed Lucius that Miss Weasley had been recovered safely from the Chamber before stopping himself – that was a problem for another time. He just hoped he would be able to convince Harry that Miss Weasley was doing well. It wouldn't do for him to be worrying about her next year. Well, a summer with his family should push his concern for her well-being to the back of his mind. And, after all, Miss Weasley would heal best with her family regardless.

&&&&&&&&


	2. Chapter 1 A Stressful Summer

Never Alone  
Chapter One – A Stressful Summer

Disclaimer: This is JK Rowling's sandbox – I just play here.

The houses of Privet Drive were dark. This was, of course, as it should be. The respectable and perfectly normal inhabitants of Little Whinging would never condone the sorts of activities that take place in the middle of the night. There was, however, an exception residing in the smallest bedroom of Number Four, where a faint glow could be seen in the upstairs window on the right-hand side of the house. This bedroom was home to a most unusual boy who was, at the moment, rather frustrated.

Harry Potter had not been having a good summer. Like the previous summer, his relatives had confiscated his wand and trunk and locked them into the cupboard under the stairs. Fortunately, however, he had asked Fred and George Weasley to teach him how to pick muggle locks, which enabled Harry to sneak books out of his trunk and read them in his room. And this was how Harry found himself hidden under the sheets of his bed, with a flashlight held loosely in his hand and a book open on his lap.

Not that he was reading. No, at this moment Harry was eagerly hoping for an invitation to the Burrow where he would get to see his best mate Ron, and Ron's younger sister Ginny. Ginny had been at the forefront of his mind for most of the summer. Last year, she had been possessed by the memory of a young Lord Voldemort hidden in a diary. Harry actually felt a bit of misplaced guilt over this, mostly for distancing Ron from his sister. Maybe if she hadn't felt quite so alone, she wouldn't have so easily fallen prey to Tom Riddle's attentions. Regardless, he had promised himself and Ginny that he wouldn't let her feel alone any more, and, to that end, had been maintaining a fairly regular correspondence with her. Despite a rather disastrous phone call from Ron at the beginning of the summer, Harry's uncle hadn't bothered to prevent Harry from using Hedwig to contact his friends. This proved especially fortuitous because Harry had quite a lot of post to deal with.

The day after being rescued from the Chamber, Ginny was taken back to the Burrow by her parents so she could 'recuperate'. At first, this didn't bother Harry because with exams canceled, there was fairly little reason for her to stay. Less than a week later, however, Errol, the Weasleys' elderly, uncoordinated owl, arrived with a letter for Harry. The Board of Governors had requested that Ginny withdraw from Hogwarts or face expulsion. By withdrawing, Ginny was able to keep her wand and enroll in another wizarding school. Dumbledore had arranged for her to attend Beauxbatons in France, rather than be stuck in one of the smaller joint-schooling or trade school arrangements available to poor or weak wizards in Britain.

Harry, acting almost on instinct, had promptly sent an owl to the Headmistress of Beauxbatons requesting to transfer there. Harry had briefly questioned this decision in the first week of the summer, before deciding he wanted to keep his promise to Ginny. Having confirmed this decision, he felt immediately better. However, this feeling of well-being had slowly eroded over the rest of the summer, before being replaced by this current bone-deep need to see Ginny and make sure that she was doing well. Sending letters had helped, but there had only been a handful of them from Ginny, who was trying to hide their correspondence from her brothers.

A sudden tapping on the window startled Harry, who leapt out of bed, sending the book he was reading to the floor. Harry stood stock-still, waiting to hear if he had accidentally woken up his uncle. As the sounds of snoring once again drifted through the wall, Harry turned to the flock of owls that was now congregated outside of his window before letting them into his room. Worried that the owls would make noise, Harry quickly removed their letters and sent them off again, allowing only the exhausted and rather infirm Errol to stay where he had collapsed on his chest-of-drawers. Planning to get them over with, Harry turned to the letters from Hogwarts.

The first contained the standard message that the Hogwarts Express would be departing from King's Cross on the first of September and included his book list. Scanning it quickly for any surprises, Harry set it aside. He wasn't going to be attending Hogwarts this year, so he needed neither the book list nor the permission slip to go to Hogsmeade. Of course, no one at Hogwarts knew this. Slightly more than a week after returning to the Dursleys', Harry received a letter from Madame Maxime, the Headmistress of Beauxbatons telling him that Dumbledore had informed her that Harry had changed his mind.

Harry had been outraged by this letter and became even more so when he discovered that apparently Dumbledore had no intention contacting him at all about his request to transfer to Beauxbatons. Harry could understand that Dumbledore would be disappointed in his decision to leave, but he couldn't understand why he wouldn't bother asking Harry about it. And, on top of that, what right did Dumbledore have to decide what he would be doing, anyway? Harry had immediately replied that he was still transferring and attached his end-of-term scores from his first year, not having any from second year to send. Shaking himself from his still simmering anger, he turned to the package from Ron.

_Harry – I'm sorry, mate, but Mum says you can't come to stay yet. Bill and Charlie are visiting and the house is full. Mum and Dad were hoping to go to Egypt and visit Bill with the money from the Galleon Draw, but they need to save some of the money to send Ginny to Beauxbatons, so they paid for Bill and Charlie to visit us instead._

_Look, Mum says you'll be able to come over for the last week of August. We'll go to Diagon Alley then, so don't go first. Don't let the muggles get you down. – Ron_

_P.S. Happy Birthday! I was going to get you something in Egypt, but we didn't go. Can't go wrong with chocolate frogs. _

Pulling a chocolate frog out of the package, Harry realized that his summer had just become much worse. Now there was no chance of escaping even some of Aunt Marge's visit, which would require him to send Hedwig off to the Weasleys. Harry wasn't entirely sure how he was going to handle being cut-off from the wizarding world yet again. Hopefully, there wouldn't be any further problems with the transfer to Beauxbatons. With this in mind, he turned to the letter with the Beauxbatons seal.

_Mr. Potter,_

_Enclosed please find the syllabi for the required courses for the 6__e__ and 5__e__ years at Beauxbatons. Since you do not have end-of-term scores for your 5__e__ year, you will need to take placement exams to confirm your eligibility for the coming year. At the end of the exams you will be able to select your electives. I do realize that these syllabi are likely to be rather different than Hogwarts's, though I do not doubt that you will adapt well._

This momentarily confused Harry, until he remembered some of the basic orientation materials he had been sent in response to his initial inquiry. At Beauxbatons, following French convention, years were counted backward. So the 1st year at Hogwarts was the 6e year at Beauxbatons, Hogwarts's 6th year being 1e and 7th year being _terminale_. Likewise, the OWL exams at the end of 5th year were replaced by the _brevet_, taken at the end of 3e year (4th at Hogwarts) and the NEWT exams were replaced by the _baccelauréat _or_bac_, taken in _terminale_. The letter continued:

_Please feel free to contact me with any questions regarding the placement exams or the syllabi. I look forward to seeing you at the start of term._

_Sincerely,_

_Olympe Maxime_

_Headmistress, Beauxbatons Academy of Magic._

Ignoring the syllabi, Harry opened Hermione's package – a broomstick servicing kit. Harry quickly flipped through the _Handbook of Do-It-Yourself Broom Care,_ which contained tips for trimming the twigs for better speed and maneuverability and a discussion of benefits of different types of polish for the broomstick itself. Harry had to admit he was a little surprised that Hermione would give him something that was so clearly non-academic, but he was pleased that she knew him so well. The momentary pleasure was dashed by a sudden pang of guilt. Harry hadn't told his friends he was going to go to Beauxbatons. As much as he wanted to, he couldn't risk that Dumbledore would find out and stop him from going.

The next package made him feel worse. Hagrid had bought him _The Monster Book of Monsters_, which, though Harry couldn't open it without being attacked, was clearly going to be the textbook for next year's Care of Magical Creatures course. Harry had signed up it for after being told that Hagrid would be teaching long before deciding to go to Beauxbatons. Harry knew that Hagrid would be devastated that he left Hogwarts, but hopefully he would understand once Harry had a chance to explain.

Glancing at the clock, Harry turned to Hedwig who was now perched on his headboard. "I'm sorry, girl, but it looks like I won't be going to the Burrow any time soon. You need to go stay with them until the end of the week," Harry said while tying a letter to her leg. "Be safe and keep an eye on Ginny for me, okay?" Hedwig hooted softly in confirmation, before bobbing her head and flying out the window.

After waiting for Hedwig's form to disappear in the distance, Harry snuck out of his room and down the stairs, knowing that this would be the last chance to pull anything out of his trunk until after Aunt Marge left in little over a week.

&&&&&&&&&&&&

"Ginny! Come downstairs and set the table, dinner is almost ready."

Rolling off of her bed, Ginny stretched, the bones of back cracking as they settled back into place. Resigning herself to yet another evening of the surreptitiously-watch-Ginny game, she walked downstairs.

All told, Ginny wasn't having a very good summer. For the first three days after leaving Hogwarts, she had been allowed to sleep rather late and spent most of her time in her room. On the fourth day, however, her mother had decided that the best way to pull Ginny out of her funk was to set her to work. She was forcibly awoken early, and then set to work cleaning each of her brothers' rooms in preparation for their return. This set the pattern for the next four weeks - bouts of marginally unnecessary housework, accompanied by her mother's attempts to secretly check up on her. Whether this was motivated by the desire to make sure she wasn't writing in any more cursed diaries or simply to annoy her, Ginny wasn't quite sure. And, honestly, you'd think that someone who gave birth to the twins would have to be slightly more skilled at stealth and misdirection.

This is not to say that Ginny wasn't happy to be home. Frankly, she found the familiarity of the Burrow comforting and her mother, while smothering, was reassuring nevertheless. The problem was that her mum seemed determined to pretend that nothing was wrong, while acting completely abnormally. Her dad had, at least, talked with her making it clear that they weren't upset or angry in anyway, and that she was still very loved. But none of those words did anything to alleviate the guilt and worry she felt. The Hogwarts Board of Governors had virtually expelled her. They hadn't, actually, or her wand would have been broken, but she was nevertheless unwelcome at Hogwarts for the foreseeable future. She had never really wanted to be independent of her older brothers, just treated equally. Now she was going to be ripped from them entirely, and, frankly, it terrified her.

Arriving at in the kitchen, Ginny moved to pick up the plates and silverware for the table. "Finally, Ginny, there you are. I don't understand why you want to spend so much of your time up in your room." Ginny turned and watched as her mum carefully orchestrated the last few bars of this evening's culinary symphony.

Having waited long enough to attract her mother's full attention, Ginny replied. "Because if I don't study, then I'll have to repeat my first year. The first year syllabus at Beauxbatons is different enough from Hogwarts that I might have trouble with the placement exam. History of Magic alone covers almost completely different material."

This stopped her mother in mid-stir. Ginny could hear her mum sniff sadly before responding. "Of course, dear, I understand. But maybe it would be better for you to study here in the kitchen, or outside in the garden." The conclusion of that sentence – 'where I can keep an eye on you' – was, of course, unspoken. Ginny nodded silently before resuming her arrangement of the plates. These days, mentioning Beauxbatons almost always shut her mother up.

Ginny had panicked when she was told that she would have to take a placement exam at Beauxbatons. The syllabus was very different and, with the diary taking much of her energy, she hadn't done very well regardless, nor had she been able to do the independent research that separated a good student at Hogwarts from a merely average one. Fortunately, her parents had been able to afford several translations of the texts used at Beauxbatons so she was able to study the Beauxbatons curriculum, instead of her Hogwarts books. More than simply studying the outside texts, however, Ginny found that it was almost like she was remembering the material she read, rather than learning it for the first time. So at this point, Ginny was no longer quiet so worried about having to repeat a year, even if the idea of attending Beauxbatons was still daunting in of itself. Not that she had shared this information with her family.

Dinner passed quickly – with her brothers at the table, if you didn't eat quickly, you didn't eat at all – if not quietly. Fortunately, Ginny was able to keep out of the conversation by preoccupying herself with her food. Managing to beg off from Ron's half-hearted offer to play chess, Ginny returned upstairs.

Closing her door, Ginny kneeled at the side of her bed and pulled a small box out from underneath the mattress. Opening it up, she pulled out a small stack of letters. Ginny had always saved letters. She was just a year old when Bill started Hogwarts, but by his seventh year he wrote fairly regular letters to her individually. She still looked forward to his letters from Egypt, where he would weave tales from his adventures in tombs and crypts. It was not the letters from Bill she was looking for, however, but the letters from Harry.

A year ago, the very idea of receiving a letter from Harry would have sent her into paroxysms of joy, followed shortly by embarrassment. After his promise in the Chamber, however, Ginny was no longer in such awe of him. For whatever reason, Harry seemed to believe that she was worth his time, so she didn't really need to be embarrassed in front of him any more. After all, he had seen her at her worst moment, and had accepted her. Nothing she could do now would drive him away. Not, of course, that she actually expected him to keep is promise. Sure, they had corresponded, but she full well expected that when Harry got to Hogwarts she would rapidly slip from his mind. For now, however, she was willing to take comfort from him.

Despite the letters, however, Ginny was still feeling isolated. Fred and George had left her alone since they came home from Hogwarts - not a single joke about being rescued by Harry, not a single prank. Usually they could be counted on for something simple, like adding a potion to her shampoo to turn her hair blue or charming her shoes to run away from her whenever she put on socks. And, frankly, the entire Chamber incident – being the fair maiden rescued by the handsome prince – should have been a gift to their comedic genius. It wouldn't have been so bad if they had neglected to prank anyone else, but they had been conducting their standard home-from-school crusade to remind everyone of their prowess – except her.

Ron and Percy were almost as bad as her mother. Percy had given her a lecture about trusting strange magical artefacts and had taken to periodically inspecting her writing utensils and parchments to make sure that they were safe. Of course, Ginny was willing to accept that this was motivated largely by guilt for dismissing her quiet demeanor as the product of a simple illness. Nevertheless, babying her simply reinforced her feelings of inferiority while simultaneously raising her ire. Ron, on the other hand, alternated wildly between hovering over her at meals and in the evenings and ignoring her entirely while playing quidditch or swimming at the pond. He had also become intolerably inquisitive when he discovered that Harry had sent her a letter, and had begun to try to intercept all of her post. This had resulted in a severe reduction in her correspondence with Harry – something Ginny was almost unwilling to forgive.

A sudden tapping at the window startled Ginny into automatically shoving the letters underneath her pillow to hide them. Coming to her senses, she looked and saw Hedwig perched carefully on her windowsill.

"Hi, Hedwig, did Harry have a good birthday?" Ginny asked as Hedwig perched herself on the back of the desk chair. Taking her silence to mean ambivalence, Ginny continued. "Well, I guess that is understandable – I wouldn't have to have my birthday with those muggles either. Now, what do you have for me?"

Opening the letter, Ginny began to read.

_Dear Ginny,_

_I just got your brother's letter – I am sorry I am not going to be able to come to the Burrow anytime soon, though I am sure you will enjoy seeing your brothers. Uncle Vernon's sister, Marge, is staying at the house for the next week, so I need you to take care of Hedwig for me while I'm away. I hope it doesn't cause any problems with Ron, but if he complains, tell him I was worried Hedwig might try to eat Scabbers._

_Thank you for housing Hedwig, and I look forward to hearing from you when you send her back._

_Your friend,_

_Harry_

Heartened though she was that Harry trusted her with his owl, Ginny couldn't help but be disappointed that she wouldn't be seeing Harry until the end of August. Still, as she walked downstairs to tell her parents about Hedwig, Ginny hoped that Bill and Charlie's visit would go as well as Harry thought it would.

&&&&&&&&&&&&

Albus Dumbledore sucked on a lemon drop and smiled. He had managed to convince Remus Lupin that it would be safe for him to be the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. Dumbledore would have to grant some concessions to Severus in exchange for brewing the wolfsbane potion, but that was a small enough price to pay. The Headmaster hoped that Remus and his connection to the Potters would be enough to distract Harry from Ginny Weasley and Beauxbatons. What had Harry been thinking? It was not safe for him to be anywhere other than Hogwarts and the Privet Drive for more than a few weeks at a time, particularly not with Black on the loose. And, more importantly, Harry would need his assistance and guidance to lead him through the inevitable confrontation with Voldemort. Not that it was going to be easy. Harry had already shown himself to be dangerously impetuous – twice rushing off before Albus had been able to carefully leak all of the information Harry needed. He'd been lucky thus far, but eventually the danger would catch up with him, if he hadn't learned to rely more on Albus's advice. More thought was needed on how to slow him down.

&&&&&&&&&&&&

Ten leagues north of Little Whinging, a filthy man in ragged clothes lay sleeping in a shallow ditch. Clutched in his left hand were the tattered fragments of an old edition of the _Daily Prophet_ – on the center of the page a small moving photograph of a large family standing and waving in front of house that looked like it was being held together by magic. And on the shoulder of the shortest boy there was a large rat looking uncharacteristically attentive.

The man rolled over onto his side, muttering "He's at Hogwarts," before falling back into a fitful sleep.

&&&&&&&&&&&&

A/N: I want to apologize for the delay before posting this chapter. This is my first attempt at writing fiction in years and this chapter and the next required restructuring in the transition from my outline.


	3. Chapter 2 Diagon Alley

Disclaimer: This is JK Rowling's sandbox – I just play here.

A/N: I want to apologize for the delay. There isn't much of an excuse beyond this being a transitional chapter. Hopefully, things will go faster once I get into my own creation. Frankly, though, I am always going to be rather slow in my writing, but it shouldn't be this long. I hope everyone can live with that. Anyway, to the chapter!

**Chapter 2 - Diagon Alley**

"The Burrow!"

Harry spun through green flames past dozens of grates before pitching forward out of the floo and into the kitchen of the Burrow.

"Still haven't got the hang of floo travel—"

"—have you Harry?" asked the twins as George hoisted Harry to his feet.

"Not yet, but I'll say this – its better than the Knight Bus," replied Harry, while trying to brush the ash and floo powder off his clothing. Pausing, Harry looked around at the kitchen of the Burrow. It hadn't changed since his visit last year, with its battered wooden table that was slightly too large for the space. "Where are Ron and Ginny?"

"Ron is out degnoming the garden—"

"—he never learned how to placate Mum properly—"

"—and Ginny is up in her room reading," replied the twins.

Before Harry could respond, Mrs. Weasley came bustling into the room carrying a laundry basket. "Harry!" she cried, setting the basket down and hurrying over to give him a hug. "I was so worried about you when I heard you were alone in Diagon Alley – next time send us an owl before you decide to run off.

"And you," she cried, spinning around to face the twins, "tell me when a guest arrives." Turning back to Harry, she asked, "can I get you anything Harry, dear? Lunch will be ready soon, but perhaps some pumpkin juice?"

"No, Mrs. Weasley, you don't need to get me anything," replied Harry, smiling slightly at Mrs. Weasley's frantic mothering.

"Okay, Harry, why don't to go and find Ron. I'm sure I can find someone to finish degnoming the garden later," she said, glancing briefly at the twins, who bolted from the room.

Harry left out the door and walked through the overgrown garden. He hadn't been sure how to tell Mrs. Weasley that he really wanted to talk to Ginny. Harry hadn't heard from her in over a week, and even then it had only been a short note saying she was glad he was away from the Durlseys, even if he hadn't been able to go to the Burrow.

Overall, Harry was enjoying his time in Diagon Alley. It was a little lonely, but even the casual friendliness of Tom and Mr. Fortescue was substantially better than the hostile neglect that he faced at the Dursleys. Nevertheless, Harry was hoping that he'd be able to spend more time at the Burrow now that Bill and Charlie had left, though he had been more than a little disappointed that he hadn't received an immediate invitation to stay for the rest of the summer.

Passing the pond, Harry finally found Ron desultorily lobbing gnomes over the back fence. "Hey, Ron!" Harry cried, making his presence known. "Your mum says you can stop with the gnomes – I think she is going to make the twins do it later for not telling her I had arrived."

"Good, they deserve it. If they hadn't hidden those spiders in my trunk I would never have knocked Mum over running down the stairs," Ron replied, brushing his hands on his pants. "How are you doing? I can't believe you get to stay at the Leaky Cauldron. It must be loads better than staying with the muggles."

"Its alright, a lot better than dealing with my Aunt Marge. I've spent a lot of time wandering around Diagon Alley." Harry followed Ron as they started walking back through the garden. "I've not spent any time there other than for school shopping – there are a lot of shops I hadn't been in yet."

"Mate, how did you get to Diagon Alley?" Ron asked suddenly. "The muggles aren't on the floo network."

"Oh, I took the Knight Bus. I hadn't planned on it, really, but I tripped over my trunk and I was holding my wand. I didn't even know the Knight Bus existed before it showed up. The ride was terrible, but a lot faster than the muggle buses." Harry stopped talking as they reached the back of the house. "Do you think we have time for a fly before lunch?"

"Probably not," Ron replied, shaking his head. "Anyway, if we wait we can toss a quaffle around with Fred and George."

Lunch was pleasant and massive. Mrs. Weasley tried to feed Harry more than he would have eaten in a week at Privet Drive. If he hadn't spent the past two weeks in Diagon Alley, he likely wouldn't have been able to keep it down. The twins kept the conversation light and bordering on the absurd, before they launched into an impromptu game of keep-away with Ron by tossing the last roll back and forth over his head. Harry, however, couldn't help but be disappointed when Mrs. Weasley announced that Ginny had chosen to take lunch in her room. The lack of response from anyone else at the table indicated that it had become a common occurrence.

Lunch was followed by a two-on-two quidditch game, which the twins won handily – Harry having only limited experience as a chaser – while Percy disappeared back up stairs to 'do homework' and Ginny had yet to come down. Putting the brooms away in the shed, Harry took a moment to corner Ron.

"Ron, is Ginny okay? I haven't seen her all day."

"Of course, why wouldn't she be?"

"Well, does she normally miss lunch like this? Last year you said she never spent that much time in her room."

"She spends all day up there – I never expected her to take after Percy like this," Ron replied, scowling slightly. "Why do you care so much anyway?"

"I don't really," Harry lied. "I was just wondering how she was handling the thing with the diary."

"Oh, she's well over that. I don't think its bothering her at all," Ron said before shifting the conversation back to quidditch, Harry, meanwhile, wondered how Ron could be so oblivious.

oOoOoOoOo

Ginny finally made an appearance at dinner, not that Harry was able to interact with her. He found himself sandwiched between the twins – a true danger zone – while Ginny was ensconced next to her mother. Mrs. Weasley spent most of the meal casting glances at Ginny's plate to monitor her eating. Harry was pleased, at least, that Ron's view of Ginny's recovery wasn't universal.

After dinner, Harry tried to follow Ginny into the sitting room and hopefully talk to her a little before he left. Mr. Weasley, though, cornered Harry and asked him to join him in his appliance shed. Walking through the doorway, Harry cast a glance around to see what had replaced the Ford Angela in Mr. Weasley's collection. The remains of what appeared to be a dishwasher were on display in the corner, but it was missing its front door and the top rack was filled with different sized plugs. A riding lawnmower, however, took up most of the center of the shed, its parts pulled out and spread on the ground.

"I am hoping it will keep the grass in the paddock short," Mr. Weasley said, noticing where Harry was directing his attention. "There are charms, of course, but I think this could scare away the garden gnomes as well."

An awkward silence descended over the shed, as Harry continued to look around.

"Mr. Weasley?" Harry prompted.

"I'm sorry, Harry, but I'm not quite sure how to bring this up," the older man started, running his hand through his thinning red hair. "What do you know about Sirius Black?"

The conversation that followed left Harry confused about what he was feeling. On the one hand, he was worried that a crazed follower of his parents' murderer was seemingly out for his blood. On the other hand, he figured he didn't have much to worry about since Black would most certainly not be aware that he was going to Beauxbatons. The most prominent feeling was anger. _"There are those who would prefer I not tell you this."_ A simple, careless sentence that embodied for Harry the core of his growing frustrations this past summer: the lack of control over his own life. Harry had no doubt that it was Dumbledore who had instructed Mr. Weasley not to tell him about Black.

Mr. Weasley coughed bringing Harry's attention back to the older man. "So you see, Harry, that it isn't safe for you to stay here for the rest of the summer – Black would never risk showing his face in Diagon Alley. We'll have you over again before school starts, though, if you like. But you shouldn't stay the night." Harry nodded, absently, wondering how he was going to talk to Ginny, if he could only come over for a couple of days.

"Don't dwell on it, Harry. You're safe at the Leaky Cauldron, and you'll be safe at Hogwarts," Mr. Weasley concluded, before walking to the door of the shed and opening it for Harry. After Harry walked through, Mr. Weasley closed and locked the door before they both headed back toward the house.

oOoOoOoOo

The sound of Hedwig returning from her morning hunt – where she found food in the middle of London, he could not imagine – woke Harry. Lying in the slowly warming room, he reflected back on his trip to the Burrow.

The evening had ended shortly after his talk with Mr. Weasley. Harry had flooed back to the Leaky Cauldron just before 8:00pm – _"It wouldn't do for you to arrive after the ruffians come out, dear," Mrs. Weasley had explained while hustling him into the fireplace_ – he had barely time to say goodbye to everyone.

Those thoughts, though, quickly spiraled into concerns about Sirius Black and Ginny. Forcing them from his mind, Harry quickly showered and dressed, before heading out into Diagon Alley. In the weeks since escaping the Dusley's, Harry's days had fallen into a kind of regular pattern. In the morning, after a quick breakfast at the Leaky Cauldron, he would wander the Alley browsing the curio shops tucked away in odd little corners or talking to shopkeepers and the occasional classmate. These latter conversations were particularly awkward. Harry had run into Oliver Wood in Quality Quidditch Supplies and had been forced to pretend to look forward to the quidditch matches at Hogwarts. He hoped the Lions would be able to find someone to replace him without too much trouble.

After lunch at Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor, Harry generally headed back to the Leaky Cauldron to study for Beauxbatons's placement exams. Harry had been initially concerned by the differing syllabi, but that concern had faded in the two weeks since he received them. Astronomy, for example, had covered much the same material, although according to the syllabus instruction ended in second year – any additional knowledge needed was taught in the classes that needed it, primarily herbology and ritual magic.

History of Magic was, perhaps, the most different because there was a practical component to the course. The first year seemed to only cover ancient magical cultures, Persian, Egyptian, and Greek, while the second year was devoted to Rome and the birth of 'modern magic.' Those subjects had been skimmed in Harry's first year before starting on the history of magical Britain, a subject that wasn't likely to be heavily covered in France. Knowing that he was not going to be able to learn the historical spells, Harry had resolved to re-read the relevant chapters of _A History of Magic_ in more detail, a fairly laborious undertaking.

Everything else was more familiar. Transfiguration and Potions looked somewhat more theoretical, and Harry had never heard of a 'table of reagents' before, but he wasn't too surprised given Snape's lack of actual instruction. Charms looked similar, though they did cover some different spells, or covered them in different order. The defense material was more extensive and more practical, but Harry had purchased a couple of books to replace the fiction Lockhart had imposed on them. His first year text was good, even if Quirrel had not been. Herbology covered a few different plants, but the syllabus said the exam would mostly test technique, so Harry had decided to do nothing more than look the plants up in a standard reference text.

Today was a standard day, so after several hours of studying, Harry headed back downstairs for dinner before returning to his bedroom and going to sleep.

oOoOoOoOo

_The Egyptians were particularly fond of magic involving life and death. With their entire culture infused with the life cycle embodied by the flooding of the Nile, it is not surprising that death and rebirth would be a theme that permeated both muggle and magical life. It is now believed that many ancient Egyptian muggle funerary practices, including the storing of organs in canopic jars and mummification of the corpse, developed out of actual magical rituals now lost. Many Egyptian mages, including the famous Thoth and Osiris, were necromancers and most of their most advanced magics would be classified as dark by modern ministries, if any record remained of them. This is not to say that they were Dark Lords in the modern understanding. Thoth is credited with the creation of a school in Khmun that taught astronomy, arithmancy, and writing in an age where even most wizards and witches would have been poorly educated. One of the spells that Thoth developed that has survived to the modern era is an early variant of the Compass charm (known as the Four-Point Spell in English – trans.), which directs the caster to true north and is believed to have been used to orient the pyramids…_

Ginny looked up from her translation of _La magie dans le monde antique_, and rubbed her eyes. No amount of effort was going to make her be able to focus on Egyptian magical society. Harry had sent her a letter thanking her for watching Hedwig and dancing around the subject of her behavior during his visit. Unfortunately, Ginny didn't quite know what to tell him. She couldn't think of any way to explain that although his letters were massively helpful, she wasn't quite sure she could actually face him, at least not in front of her inquisitive family.

Ginny fingered the small ankh pendant Bill had given her during his visit. He had explained that it was the Egyptian symbol for life, and, although it was completely non-magical, that Ginny wear it and remember that she is alive, and that life should be lived. Both Bill and Charlie had managed to make her feel better, largely by treating her fairly normally. And, by the time they left, even her nightmares had begun to fade.

Smiling slightly, Ginny pulled out a piece of parchment and her desk set and began to respond to Harry's letter. She'd talk to him when he came to visit next weekend.

oOoOoOoOo

People thronged around Harry as he walked in the sunshine. It was the day before Hogwarts started and the crowd of last-minute school shoppers in the Alley was almost overwhelming. Fortunately, Harry's summer had given him enough time to explore, and he was able to slip around behind Eyelopes Owl Emporium and enter Fortescue's through the kitchen – an escape route he had used more than once to avoid a throng of celebrity watchers. Spying a shock of red hair at one of the tables, Harry started walking over.

"Honestly, Ron, it is in a cat's nature to hunt rats. We'll just have to watch then to make sure they don't attack one another," came a slightly chastising voice.

"They aren't going to attack one another – your cat is going to attack my rat. You should keep him in a cage." Another voice indignantly replied.

"So, what's this about then?" Harry asked quickly, hoping to head off a full-blown argument.

"Harry!" Hermione cried, leaping from her chair and rushing to give him a hug.

"Hi Hermione," Harry said into a mass of brown hair. "So you bought a cat?"

"Yes! Here he is. His name is Crookshanks." Hermione replied, holding up a large orange cat with a flattened face.

"Crookshanks?" Harry mouthed toward Ron, over Hermione's shoulder. Ron rolled his eyes.

"I found him at Magical Menagerie – my parents gave me money to buy a familiar for my birthday. Of course I was going to get an owl, but then I saw him in the store and I just couldn't resist. The owner thinks he might be a part-kneazle mix, which means he is really smart—."

"—Just like you then, Hermione," Harry said, smiling indulgently. Turning to Ron, he continued. "Hey, mate."

"Hi, Harry," Ron replied. "It's good to see you. I'm sorry you couldn't come over again, but my parents thought it'd be better for us just to see you here. I don't know why."

Harry, of course, did, but didn't feel like bringing up Sirius Black at the moment. He'd tell them on the train, if he got the chance, a thought that killed his good mood. He had a portkey to Beauxbatons that would leave at 12:00pm tomorrow. He had decided that it would be best to leave directly from the Hogwarts Express, so no one could stop him. Of course, this meant that he couldn't tell Ron or Hermione until they were already on the train.

"That's okay. Going to the Burrow even once was great." Harry replied, plastering a smile on his face. "Besides, it gave me a chance to explore Diagon Alley."

"Oh, Harry, I can't believe you spent three weeks here alone. Did you at least get your homework done?"

"Yes, Hermione, I did. I even did some reading on my own," Harry replied, smiling wryly, which earned him a betrayed look from Ron. "But mostly I went exploring."

Harry's tale of his summer adventures, which mostly consisted of rooting through dusty curio shops, lasted long enough for them to catch up with the rest of the Weasleys.

oOoOoOoOo

The next morning found Harry, Hermione, and the Weasleys in main room at the Leaky Cauldron. They had spent the night in the upstairs rooms. Harry walked down the wood staircase dragging his trunk behind him.

"Fred! George! Change your brother's badge back right now. You should be so lucky to be head boy," Mrs. Weasley called as Fred and George ran up the stairs past Harry.

"There you are, Harry," Mrs. Weasley said. "Put your trunk over there with the rest of them. We're taking Ministry cars to Kings Cross. I assume you sent Hedwig on ahead of you?" Nodding, Harry dragged his trunk over to the pile next to the door, and then walked through the taproom to get to the table where Hermione and Ginny were sitting.

"You must be so excited! I've read all about Beauxbatons in _An Assessment of Magical Education in Europe_. They have a different exam system, of course, but that shouldn't stop you from getting a job," Hermione said, rambling. "I'm sure that there is a formula for converting the _baccelauréat_ to NEWTs. Of course, I don't know how the _brevet_ would convert to OWLs, since it is taken in fourth year."

"Good morning, Hermione, Ginny," Harry said, earning a smile from Ginny, who was looking rather harassed. "Hermione, Ron said something about putting Crookshanks in a box, you might want to go stop him."

"How dare he! If he just kept that ugly rat in his cage it wouldn't be a problem," Hermione ranted as she stormed off.

Smiling slightly, Harry turned to Ginny. "I hope she isn't too angry when she finds out Ron is still in the shower. You just looked like you needed to be rescued."

"Well, she just wouldn't stop talking about Beauxbatons. I already know all of that; I've done nothing but worry about it all summer. And it is hard enough watching all of you go without being reminded of it," Ginny replied. An awkward silence descended, as Harry shuffled his feet.

"Look, Ginny, I'm sorry I didn't get to talk to you—"

"—that's silly, Harry," Ginny interrupted. "You wrote me all summer and you didn't need to. I appreciated the letters, though. They helped a lot."

"I enjoyed writing to you. Don't worry about it. I just want you to remember that you can talk to me anytime you need to, yeah?" Harry asked. Ginny started to respond when she was interrupted.

"Okay Weasleys, and others. Time to go," Mr. Weasley called. Smiling slightly at Ginny, Harry got up to grab his trunk.

oOoOoOoOo

The ride to Kings Cross was depressingly short for Harry. While he was sad he wouldn't be returning to Hogwarts, he was excited to be leaving the country. He'd never gone on holiday, before, and part of him was looking forward to seeing France. However, this was the last chance he'd have to see Ron and Hermione for a year, if they even wanted to still see him after he left. Hopefully they'd understand why he was doing this, even if he didn't understand entirely.

"Okay, now, Percy you go first with your father," Mrs. Weasley directed, looking around. "Then you, Harry, and Ron. Hermione and Ginny can go next. Then I'll go last."

"And what about us?" one of the twins asked. "Are we chopped liver?"

"Fred, George, you can go after Ginny," Mrs. Weasley said, exasperated. "Go now, hurry along."

Walking through the barrier, Harry and Ron stepped onto Platform 9 ¾. Families rushed around, trying to get trunks onto the trains and pets into the hands of their rightful owners. Steam rose from the engine of the Hogwarts Express, as it let loose a shrill whistle.

"Hurry along, boys," Mr. Weasley said. "That was the warning whistle. And we need to get your sister home so she can catch her portkey." This brought a sudden sob from Ginny, as she started crying.

Harry waited while she hugged each of her brothers, before walking up to her and hugging her himself. "Listen, Ginny," Harry whispered in her ear. "Remember my promise. I'll see you sooner than you expect."

Sniffling, Ginny looked up at Harry confused.

"Come on, Harry, we need to get you on the train," Mr. Weasley said, placing his hand on Harry's shoulder. Working together, they got Harry and his trunk onto the train.

"Have a good year, Harry, and remember what I told you – be safe," Mr. Weasley called, as the train pulled away.

oOoOoOoOo

Dragging his trunk down the hallway, he eventually found Ron and Hermione in a compartment with a middle-aged man in shabby tweed robes sleeping the corner.

"You finally got here, mate," Ron said, helping Harry with his trunk. "This is the only one that wasn't full. We don't know who he is." Ron gestured to the man.

"Honestly, Ron, if you'd think about it he must be the new defense professor. His trunk says Professor R. J. Lupin," Hermione replied.

"Well, excuse me for not immediately noticing the name he has listed on his trunk," Ron said, his voice getting louder.

"Look, guys, can you not get into a fight right now," Harry interjected. "I have something I need to talk to you about.

"When I came over to the Burrow, your dad, Ron, pulled me aside after dinner," Harry started. "He told me that Sirius Black escaped to come after me. Apparently he was one of Voldemort's most dangerous followers."

"Blimey, Harry," Ron said. "At least you'll be safe at Hogwarts."

"Yeah, Harry," Hermione said, jumping in. "I'm sure Dumbledore will have something set up to prevent him from getting into the castle."

"Well, actually, that brings me to the other thing I need to tell you," Harry said, looking at the floor. "I'm not actually going back to Hogwarts this year."

"What?" Ron yelled. "You're on the Express already."

"I know, I have a portkey on me. It is set to leave in about 30 minutes," Harry replied softly.

"Where are you going, Harry?" Hermione asked, sounding like she already knew the answer.

"Beauxbatons." Silence dominated the compartment.

Eventually, Hermione started to speak again. "So, Dumbledore set this up to get you away from Black?"

"Oh, that's a brilliant idea," Ron said, warming to the plan. "Since everyone expects you at Hogwarts, then Black won't be able to find you."

"No." Harry started playing with the hem of his shirt. "No, it isn't Dumbledore's plan. He doesn't know I am going."

"Harry why are you going if it isn't because of Black?" Hermione asked. "I mean the only other reason would be…" She trailed off.

"What? Harry? Why?" Ron asked, confused by Hermione's sudden silence.

"Ginny, Ron." Hermione said flatly. "The only other reason for him to go is Ginny."

"Harry, you aren't going to Beauxbatons because of my little sister, right?" Ron asked, pleading.

"I promised," Harry said remorsefully. "I promised her she wouldn't feel alone. I promised her she wouldn't _be_ alone. And I failed – they still kicked her out. I have to go."

"I can't believe you Harry," Ron yelled, standing up. "We're your _friends_. I can't believe you'd abandon us for a little girl."

"She's not just a little girl, Ron," Harry replied, his voice rising. "She was possessed. By Voldemort. And now she is sent off to a new school where she knows no one. All of you ignoring her is what led her to write in that diary in the first place. She needs someone, and apparently that someone is me."

"I can't believe you are falling for that!" Ron said, his face turning red. "She just has a crush on you. I bet you like that. You're just like Lockhart; you want her fawning over you. Whatever. Let's go, Hermione, and find a real friend." Throwing open the door, Ron stormed from the compartment.

"Harry, I don't know why you wouldn't have told us about this before," Hermione said, sadly. "I would have told you anything."

Harry looked up just as the door closed behind her. Collapsing onto his trunk, he tried to calm his breathing. It was in that position, fifteen minutes later, that the portkey activated sending him spinning off to France. The man in the tweed robes never even woke up.

oOoOoOoOo

A/N: Well, next time Beauxbatons. I want to thank my beta, trevortoad, for his advice and assistance. And heckling. Mustn't forget the heckling.


End file.
